Media Kit for Nick Basaraba

Press Release

Pfriem Brewery and Pacific Rivers Partner for Free Flows and Brews Event

Hood River, Ore., Oct. 11, 2025 – Pfriem Brewery and Pacific Rivers are inviting all outdoors and river-lovers to Free Flows and Brews at the Pfriem Brewery! Join us at 3 PM for a day of live music from Portland’s own Jimmy Smith, river trip raffles, and hear from Pfriem’s founder and owner, Josh Pfriem, and Pacific Rivers president, Mike Morrison, to raise awareness about the four Snake River dams.

“We have an incredible opportunity to remove these dams and reconnect the Snake River so that future generations can enjoy this magnificent resource for generations to come,” said Mike Morrison, president of Pacific Rivers. Morrison noted that each river is the heart of our communities here in Oregon, and without them, we lose everything.

“Everyone here at Pfriem is excited to partner up with Mike and the Pacific Rivers team,” said Josh Pfriem, owner and founder of Pfriem Brewery. “We want to show our unwavering support for Oregon’s rivers and help unite the voices of river lovers of the Pacific Northwest.”

The lower four Snake River dams have consistently caused harmful water quality in the Columbia River Basin and create a significant barrier to migrating salmon. Oregonians rely on clean, cold rivers for safe drinking water just as much as salmon need them to survive.

About Pfriem Brewery

Pfriem has been a long-time presence in Oregon’s craft beer scene. Look in the coolers of anybody going rafting, kayaking, hiking, or fishing, and you’re likely to see a variety of Pfriem beers. Partnering with Pacific Rivers is an opportunity to show how our small communities not only enjoy our free-flowing rivers but also how much our lives and businesses revolve around them.

About Pacific Rivers

Pacific Rivers is a Portland-based non-profit dedicated to improving water quality throughout the Pacific Northwest. They have been instrumental in designating rivers under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, making Oregon the state with the most river miles federally protected. They are a small, passionate group of people who have dedicated their lives to preserving the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest. Pfriem Brewery is an Oregon-based craft brewery staple based in Hood River. They have operated for more than two decades. Owned and operated by outdoors lovers, Pfriem hopes to share their love for great craft beer, which is best enjoyed on one of Oregon’s world-renowned rivers.

This event is free to all, registration is not required. For more information, visit pacificrivers.org/events

For media inquiries, contact Mike Morrison, Pacific Rivers at mike@pacificrivers.org or (123) 456-7899

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Op-Ed

Opinion: Removing Snake River Dams Will Ensure Water Quality For Our Communities and Environment

By Mike Morrison

Dams have long been the primary source of energy throughout the Pacific Northwest for over a century. They power our homes, light our cities, and water our agriculture. In the era of dam building, during Franklin Delano Roosevelt's tenure as president of the United States, they brought economic benefits by providing struggling Americans with good-paying jobs.

But recently, we have come to understand that many of these dams were unnecessary and, in fact, have a far worse impact than expected. A new exploratory phase of American civil engineering has begun: What happens when dams are removed, and how do we do it?

Major dam removals have been occurring in Oregon, Washington, and California, and the benefits are hard to overlook. On Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, two dams on the Elwha River were removed over ten years ago. The speed of the river ecosystem's recovery has shocked many researchers and residents.

In 2024, the last of four dams was removed on Oregon and California’s Klamath River in what is now the largest dam removal and river restoration project ever to take place. Pacific salmon and other migratory species were seen entering streams that feed Klamath Lake, the headwaters of the Klamath River in southern Oregon, for the first time in over 100 years.

Residents, including tribes, farmers and ranchers, and city municipalities, realized that for the entire region to benefit, negotiations were necessary to save a dying river from a slow death brought on by civilization. Time will tell whether this story will end, but one thing is for sure: nature has always been quick to respond and improve when given the opportunity.

In the early 1970s, the last of four earthen dams was completed on the Lower Snake River for hydropower and navigation. A channel was dredged to allow large barges carrying agricultural goods from eastern Washington and Idaho to where the Snake River enters the Columbia River.

Many have called these the most ill-conceived dams in the U.S., and their reasons have become our reality. Reservoirs behind the dams have altered the water quality in the Lower Snake River in ways that the Army Corps of Engineers has failed to address. Hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers' money have been wasted on constant dam repairs and reconstruction projects. Alternative energy sources such as solar and wind have offset the energy production of these dams so that now, only 4% of our power comes from hydro power.

Efforts to mitigate the losses of the once enormous runs of migratory fish, such as salmon, steelhead, and lamprey, due to the dams have cost American taxpayers and the federal government over $9 billion since they were completed. This has caused a tidal wave of environmental issues throughout the Northwest. Southern Resident killer whales, which eat only large Snake and Columbia River Chinook salmon, are now reaching terrifyingly low numbers. If the trend continues, our children will witness the extinction of this charismatic and iconic species of whale in the Pacific Ocean.

The decline in fish numbers is due to the low water quality caused by the dams. Toxic water, high enough to kill migrating fish, occurs each summer on the Snake and Columbia Rivers. Algae blooms are strong enough to kill or sicken people and their pets who swim in the rivers during these blooms. PH levels are skyrocketing due to the imbalance.

The cheapest and obvious step in the right direction? Remove these dams. Based on evidence from past dam removal projects, it's clear that allowing the river to flow in a state that closely resembles pre-dam conditions will benefit all communities along these amazing waterways. Alternative forms of irrigation, energy production, and transportation are already being used throughout the region.

If we don’t act now, future generations will look back at us with shame and disbelief that instead of acting, we sat by and let our rivers suffocate before our very eyes.

For more information: visit freethesnake.org

1.     The Oregonian Op Ed submissions page: https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/page/how_do_i_write_a_letter_to_the.html 

2.     Many of the pieces in The Oregonian cover a wide variety of topics. Much of what is published covers various state and city legislation affecting large communities around Portland and other major towns. Because of the many Oregon residents' environmental awareness, there are plenty of Op-Eds on environmental impacts. What makes this issue so important is that it is not just an environmental issue. All communities in the northern 2/3 of Oregon have water nearby that flows into the Columbia or Snake Rivers. They are farmers, ranchers, recreationalists, and concerned users of these resources. The dynamics of this issue cover much of everyday life for Oregonians and would be a valuable letter to publish in Oregon’s leading local news source. 

Media Alert

Nick Basaraba

nickbas@colostate.edu

(970) 308-5244

For Immediate Release

Sept. 27, 2025

Pfriem Brewery and Pacific Rivers Bring River Community Together for Free Flows and Brews Event

The goal is to raise funds to support the removal of the four lower Snake River dams and to let our politicians know we prioritize clean water for all Oregonians.

On Friday, October 11, Free Flows and Brews will be held at the Pfriem Brewery, 707 Portway Ave #101, Hood River, OR 97031, to bring together the Pacific Northwest river community with other outdoor enthusiasts in support of removing the lower Snake River dams. There will be guest speakers, live music, raffles, local artists, and an afternoon river clean-up to celebrate the rivers that bring us all joy.

In the Pacific Northwest, we rely on hydropower to light our homes, but some dams generate little power and cause ecological harm. The lower four Snake River dams have little use for energy production but threaten migratory salmon runs and create toxic environments in reservoirs behind dams.

Free Flows and Brews begins at 1 p.m. with a river clean-up event. Owner and founder of Pfriem Brewery, Josh Pfriem, will be speaking at the event along with the president of Pacific Rivers, Mike Morrison. Pfriem Brewery is a well-known Oregon institution popular in the river community, and Morrison’s decades of work in river conservation will highlight the importance of river advocacy.

Press is welcome to join our community for interviews and photographs as we clean up the riverbanks, then enjoy live music and guest speakers at the Pfriem Brewery. Attendees, speakers, and musicians are all available for interviews upon request. Please get in touch with Mike Morrison to RSVP and for any further questions at mike@pacificrivers.org.

Feature Story

Pacific Rivers Protect Oregon’s Watersheds One River at a Time

By Nick Basaraba

In 1987, significant changes were occurring across the state of Oregon. Water quality continued to decline due to extensive logging and other resource extraction activities across numerous watersheds statewide. Heavy sediment runoff during seasonal rains significantly altered the pristine conditions of many rivers, prompting concern among river lovers in the Pacific Northwest. Returns of the famous salmon and steelhead that draw anglers from around the globe were also in steady decline. Two whitewater rafting friends decided that waiting for an unknown entity to advocate for watershed health was no longer an option.

Rick George and Bob Doppelt took the initiative and started the Oregon Rivers Council, now known as Pacific Rivers. Through community science, political action, and consultation with state management agencies, Pacific Rivers was instrumental in the implementation of over 40 Wild and Scenic River designations across Oregon. Thanks to Pacific Rivers' efforts, that number has increased dramatically. Oregon is now the nation’s leader in river miles designated under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

“We didn’t really know what we were doing at first,” said Pacific Rivers founder Rick George. “Bob [Doppelt] and I knew we couldn’t sit around and wait for somebody to stand up for the salmon and steelhead in the North Umpqua. So we decided to roll up our sleeves to see if we could get some protections in place.”

The work of Pacific Rivers has become monumental in passing legislation dedicated to safer resource management practices and the protection of some of Oregon's most endangered rivers and streams.

But now, recognizing broader regional issues, Pacific Rivers is working closely with communities, tribes, and state and federal management agencies to monitor the health of the Snake River. The Snake River is a heavily industrialized waterway, used for river barging agricultural goods and for small contributions to the region’s energy supply through hydroelectric power. Four dams on the lower Snake River have caused catastrophic water-quality issues since their completion in the 1970s, prompting environmentalists and outdoor recreationalists to call for their breaching. Specifically, Pacific Rivers is actively monitoring the shocking increase in the river’s pH levels, which are causing detrimental harm to juvenile and adult salmon and steelhead. Their research aims to inform how these dams are operated, and the data will be used as another reason many concerned citizens wish to see these dams removed.

“You talk to enough people around here familiar with the Snake River, and you’re going to hear about how these dams need to come out,” said George. “They aren’t producing enough electricity to contribute much to the power grid and are causing all sorts of problems up and down the Columbia basin.”

Through community-led advocacy, the research conducted by Pacific Rivers helps drive the narrative that these dams are damaging not just the Snake River watershed but also affects the water quality downstream into the Columbia River, from the eastern border of Idaho all the way to the mouth of the Columbia, where it enters the Pacific Ocean. Efforts to unify efforts and encourage community involvement have resulted in an outpouring of support.

Pacific River’s nearly 40-year track record of river advocacy makes it one of the leading non-profits in the fight for better water quality in the Pacific Northwest. Fundraising events bring communities together in the fight to maintain water quality standards for Oregon’s drinking water and healthier conditions for the next generation of outdoor recreationalists.      

PSA’s

15 second: Pfriem Brewery and river conservation group Pacific Rivers want to invite Oregon river lovers to their Free Flows and Brews event at the Pfriem Brewery in Hood River on Friday, October 11, for a day of live music, food, Pfriem beers, local art, and a river cleanup. All proceeds will go to the Pacific Rivers mission to breach the lower four dams on the Snake River.

30 second: On Friday, October 11, Pfriem Brewery in Hood River will be hosting river conservation group Pacific Rivers for their event, Free Flows and Brews. The two organizations are partnering together for a day of live music, great food, Pfriem beers, local art to be auctioned off, and a river cleanup in Hood River to raise money to help advocate for the breaching of the lower four Snake River dams. To find out more, check Instagram and Facebook, or visit pacificrivers.org/events. The event is free for anyone who wants to attend, and no RSVP is required. We hope to see you there!

60 seconds: Oregon’s favorite brewery, Pfriem Brewery, is partnering with river conservation group Pacific Rivers for their first-ever Free Flows and Brews event on Friday, October 11, at 3 PM. Portland musician Jimmy Smith will play the event alongside local artists who will sell their art to raise money for conservation efforts focused on removing the lower four Snake River dams. The event also includes great food, cold beers, and a river cleanup along the banks of the Hood River. All proceeds go to help Pacific Rivers and their many partners with efforts to remove dams on the Snake River. “We’re really excited to get our river community together and talk about the next great river restoration project we’re faced with,” said Josh Pfriem, founder and owner of Pfriem Brewery. “Any chance we get to give back to the rivers we love, we’re going to do it. We hope you join us!” To learn more about the event, find us on Instagram and Facebook, or head over to pacificrivers.org/events for more details. The event is free to anyone who wants to join and no RSVP is necessary. Free the Snake!

FAQ

There are numerous conservation groups in the Pacific Northwest. What makes Pacific Rivers unique?

There are many fantastic groups working throughout the Pacific Northwest. The river conservation community is small, and we often partner with various groups to achieve our individual goals. As a group, Pacific Rivers focuses more on grassroots and community-based conservation. We believe that meaningful change occurs on a smaller scale. Conservation efforts are completed with as much local support as possible and we strive to involve community members as much as possible. One of our primary focuses surrounds river designations under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which we believe has great impacts on protecting watersheds.

When did Pacific Rivers start?

We started in 1987 when friends Rick George and Bob Dopelt teamed up to help with designating numerous watersheds throughout Oregon under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Our early work in the upper North Umpqua watershed also helped create sanctuary zones in critical cold water habitats. These conservation zones have given researchers valuable data on migratory fish movements that inform management decisions. Since then, our team has grown to include researchers, biologists, and lawyers to hep drive our conservation goals in a meaningful direction.

Why is river conservation important in today’s world?

Over a century of resource extraction and mismanagement of our environment has greatly reduced the amount of unaltered forest lands and unaffected watersheds. While logging and commercial fishing has proven to be harmful to salmon populations and water quality, we understand that these industries are important for Oregon’s economy. Our work is designed to work alongside these industries in sustainable ways, encouraging agency management that prioritizes clean water for migrating fish and community drinking water.

What is Free Flows and Brews?

We have partnered with Pfriem Brewing to organize an event that brings together outdoor lovers to advocate for the endangered Snake River and adjacent communities. The four lower Snake River dams are the single most obstacle impeding migration for adult and juvenile salmon. These dams are also the cause of dangerous water quality issues. Federal and regional assessments tell us that these dams are no longer economically viable. Our goal with this event is to involve our communities to raise funds and awareness about this issue through live music, good food, and art auctions. Anyone is welcome to join us for a fun day centered on our beautiful watersheds we have in the Pacific Northwest.

Are there admission fees?

No, the event is free for anyone who can make it! All food and beverage sales will go toward our work to one day see the four dams on the lower Snake River breached.

I can’t make it to the event. Is there another way I can be involved?

Absolutely! We host many different events throughout the year to keep our community involved. You can sign up for our newsletter which will include details on upcoming events, future volunteer opportunities, and other ways keep informed on important conservation projects and issues throughout the Pacific Northwest. If you can donate more of your resources, you can visit our website or email us at info@pacificrivers.org for more information.

Talking Points

Talking points for event speech – Mike Morrison President of Pacific Rivers

• Audience #1: young professionals passionate about conservation and concerned about environmental issues

  • More focused on volunteering and events

    • Young families that spend quality time outdoors together

    • Fishing

    • whitewater rafting/kayaking

    • hiking

• Audience #2: Retirement age with more time and resources to commit to conservation

  • Nostalgic about previous decades; more competition for natural resources in today’s time

  • Less adventurous outdoors but still passionate about conservation

  • Mention proceeds of auctions, food and beverage sales go toward Snake River conservation initiatives

• Thank Josh Pfriem and Pfriem Brewery

  • Support from our river community is inspiring

  • Free Flows and Brews is a day to celebrate Pacific Northwest watersheds

    • Join us for river trash pickup

    • Take time to enjoy the art pieces up for auction – proceeds go to conservation efforts

    • Food and beverage sales go toward conservation efforts

• Importance of Community togetherness

  • Grass-roots efforts with local support drive real change in conservation

  • Communities should participate in the management of natural resources

  • Pacific Rivers was founded by concerned citizens almost 40 years ago – proof of dedicated action

• Snake River dams

  • Major obstacle to migrating salmon

    • high water temperatures are dangerous

    • create toxic algae blooms harmful to drinking supply, pets, and people

  • Very little economic contribution

    • Do not supply enough electricity to keep in place

    • Costly to repair and manage – taxpayer money

    • Breaching dams will bring in tourism dollars to dependent communities

  • Value of working with agricultural communities and other industries reliant on dams

    • Important to work together with stakeholders

    • Not a “Us vs. Them” situation; togetherness

• Thank you for your support

  • Come talk to us at Pacific River booth to sign up for regular newsletters on past and current conservation projects/issues

  • Feel free to ask us any questions or for more information how to contribute

Photos

Social Media Posts

Last summer, I attended a Pacific Rivers event that brought people together to advocate for breaching the Snake River dams. I thought these pictures would be a great to post across social media sites to give context and to show how the river community enjoys coming together to talk about how we can improve the environment.

Business Card